Federated ‘Dream’ Winners Have ‘Dream Weekend’

Thunder, lightning and some heavy rain could not keep the winners of the Federated "Dream Weekend" from having a great time. Five Federated service provider customers watched some major league baseball and dirt track racing, and then they got behind the wheel of some dirt track cars and learned how to race from NASCAR and dirt track legend Kenny Schrader. Not a bad way to spend a weekend in St. Louis.

Thunder, lightning and some heavy rain could not keep the winners of the Federated “Dream Weekend” from having a great time. Five Federated service provider customers watched some major league baseball and dirt track racing, and then they got behind the wheel of some dirt track cars and learned how to race from NASCAR and dirt track legend Kenny Schrader. Not a bad way to spend a weekend in St. Louis.

“Our five winners had an incredible weekend that I know they will always remember,” said Phil Moore, senior vice president for Federated. “The ‘Dream Weekend’ promotion was a fun and action-packed 48 hours. Although the Federated Ironman 55 race was eventually postponed because of rain, everyone had a great time and we got to see a lot of racing action before the downpour.”

The five Federated service provider customers who attended the Federated “Dream Weekend” were:

• Dave Christopher — Christopher’s Car Care, Tallmadge, Ohio

• Howard Fulton — Cassel’s Garage, Melbourne, Fla.

• Brad Heimbach — Brad’s Motor Market Place, Lafayette, Ind.

• Rodney Gisler — Performance Plus, Three Rivers, Texas

•Troy Stariha — Kalama Auto Supply & Repair, Kalama, Wash.

The weekend began on Friday, Aug. 3 with a major league baseball game featuring the world champion St. Louis Cardinals hosting their arch rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers, at beautiful Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis.

On Saturday, Aug. 4, the dream weekend continued with a tour of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and a night of dirt track racing at the Federated Auto Parts I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. The main event, the Federated Auto Parts World of Outlaws “Ironman 55” was postponed because of a severe storm. However, the winners still saw a lot of great racing in the qualifying heats from the comfort of track owner Schrader’s personal suite. The “Ironman 55” has been rescheduled for Oct. 13 at the Federated Auto Parts I-55 Raceway.

The dream weekend concluded back at the raceway on Sunday, Aug. 5 with a dirt track driving experience taught by instructor Schrader. The winners got behind the wheel of one of Schrader’s dirt cars and learned the ropes from the dirt track master.

For more information, visit www.federatedautoparts.com.

When Your Shop Is Worth Much More Than You Thought

Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.

Case Study: Owner of San Francisco-based Import Service Shop Delighted to Discover Just How Valuable His Business is to Qualified Buyers
I sometimes share case studies of the clients I have been able to assist in my role as an aftermarket business broker and provider of intermediary and advisory services. I do that when I think the story will provide a reader in similar circumstances with new insights or helpful information.
In the case of Cowden Automotive, Inc., I acted in a consulting capacity assisting the owner and his broker in valuing the business, creating a marketing plan, finding a qualified buyer, and arranging financing for the sale.
Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.
Needless to say, delivering that kind of good news to a shop owner is a rewarding experience. Discovering that the sale of his business would result in his retirement nest-egg being substantially larger than he had ever thought was a fitting tribute to someone who had spent his entire working career as a busy automotive service shop owner.

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